


But love I can understand

by draculard



Category: Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Canon Divergence, Darth Vader Lives, Darth Vader Redemption, Father-Son Relationship, Father/Son Incest, Force Healing, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Return of the Jedi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-11
Updated: 2020-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:00:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23147371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/draculard/pseuds/draculard
Summary: "I won't leave you," Luke said.He was never the type to break a promise.
Relationships: Luke Skywalker/Darth Vader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 62
Collections: It's All in the Name (Take #1)





	But love I can understand

**Author's Note:**

  * For [yujacheong](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yujacheong/gifts).



For years afterward, Luke could feel the weight of the mask against his fingers, the damaged grooves of metal cutting into his skin. He knelt on the floor of the second Death Star  — knees aching, ribs bruised. His nerves on fire from the Emperor’s bursts of lightning; the smell of singed flesh curling down his throat and into his lungs.

“Luke, help me take this mask off,” Vader said, but Luke hadn’t helped him so much as done it for him. He’d seen the scorched gloves over Vader’s mechanical hands, heard the dying whirr of circuits and whine of fried electrodes throughout Vader’s suit.

He protested —

“Just for once,” Vader said, “let me look on you with my own eyes.”

— but he did as he was told. He pressed the clasp, listened to the pneumatic hiss as Vader’s mask became unhinged and slipped off his father’s skull, into Luke’s hands.

He looked down into Anakin Skywalker’s face for the first time. Pale, like it had never seen the light of Tatooine’s suns. The eyes red and watery -- tired, pleading. It was impossible to tell the difference between the burn scars crisscrossing his face and the veins visible beneath translucent skin.

The vocorder fizzed and popped, stealing what might have been Vader’s dying words. The ventilator hissed. The Force descended into Luke’s mind, washing through the cells of his brain, showing him the future and the present simultaneously.

Showed him Vader’s death.

Showed him Anakin, born again.

They locked eyes. Luke heard echoes of his own protest thrown back at him by the Force.  _ But you’ll die. _

But Anakin wouldn’t die, Luke knew that now. He wouldn’t allow it. He took his father’s face in his hands, allowing his own warm skin to heat Anakin’s. He felt the Force fluttering inside him, channeling through his chest and out toward his hands until he could feel himself glowing with the heat of it.

“I won’t leave you,” Luke whispered.

He leaned forward; he saw Anakin’s eyes flutter close in something like a flinch. When his lips found Anakin’s, he found them chapped, tinged with the taste of blood  — but warm.

He pulled away. He felt the Force inside Anakin singing to the Force inside him.

He smiled, and Anakin’s eyes opened to meet his.

“Let’s go,” Luke said. “You’re not dying on me today.”

He clasped Anakin’s left hand with his right and felt mechanical fingers close tight around his own. 

“I won’t leave you,” he said again, and without waiting for another argument, he tugged Anakin to his feet and led him, slowly and with all the support Luke could give, to the ship.


End file.
